Plans for up to 420 new homes at Beaconside to be considered

Up to 420 homes have been earmarked for the site off Sandon Road, Stafford, and the MOD 4 site at Beaconside by Homes England.

Stafford Borough Council’s planning committee will consider the proposals at a special meeting on Tuesday (March 18) as it is considered a “large scale major application”. 

If it is approved a more detailed application will come forward at a later date.

A report to the committee said: ”The application site comprises an MOD complex to the north of Stafford and an additional parcel of agricultural land.The site is surrounded to the north, west and east by the north of Stafford Strategic Development Location (SDL) as identified in the Plan for Stafford Borough (TPSB).

“The northern part of the site is allocated as MOD safeguarded land whilst the southern part is unallocated in the TPSB, although it is noted that outline consent was granted for up to 120 dwellings on this part of the site in 2017. 

"The supporting information identifies two proposed access points – one from Beaconside and one from Sandon Road – and an additional five potential links into the surrounding area.

“Following the publication of the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) in December 2024 and with it new mandatory housing targets, Stafford Borough does not currently have a five-year housing land supply and consequently settlement boundaries for the purposes of new residential development no longer carry any weight. 

"A ‘tilted balance’ is therefore engaged where the NPPF ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’ is applied.

“Notwithstanding this, the site is considered to be within a sustainable location with being surrounded by the north of Stafford SDL, its proximity to the built up area of Stafford and the level of services which Stafford provides with being the largest settlement in the borough. 

"It is accepted that the character of the wider surroundings will drastically change in the near future with the development of the north SDL.”

Approval of the application would be subject to a series of conditions. 

The applicant would also be required to enter into an agreement that includes dedicating land to provide a roundabout at the junction of Beaconside and Sandon Road, as well as contributing to the construction costs of the roundabout.

Stafford Borough Council has received nine objections to the application however. Objectors have raised concerns about loss of green space, insufficient local facilities, increased highway danger due to an increase in traffic and safety of the proposed access off Sandon Road

Although outline planning permission was granted for 120 homes on the site in 2017, a further application including details of appearance, landscaping, layout, and scale was refused consent in April 2019. 

A “mixed-used” development for surrounding land to the north of the site, approved in May 2022, proposes up to 2,000 new homes, as well as a primary school. secondary school. health centre and elderly living facility.

Up to 420 homes have been earmarked for the site off Sandon Road and the MOD 4 site at Beaconside by Homes England.

Stafford Borough Council’s planning committee will consider the proposals at a special meeting on Tuesday (March 18) as it is considered a “large-scale major application”. If it is approved a more detailed application will come forward at a later date.

A report to the committee said: ”The application site comprises a MOD complex to the north of Stafford and an additional parcel of agricultural land. The site is surrounded to the north, west and east by the north of Stafford Strategic Development Location (SDL) as identified in the Plan for Stafford Borough (TPSB).

“The northern part of the site is allocated as MOD safeguarded land whilst the southern part is unallocated in the TPSB, although it is noted that outline consent was granted for up to 120 dwellings on this part of the site in 2017. 

"The supporting information identifies two proposed access points – one from Beaconside and one from Sandon Road – and an additional five potential links into the surrounding area.

“Following the publication of the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) in December 2024 and with its new mandatory housing targets, Stafford Borough does not currently have a five-year housing land supply and consequently settlement boundaries for the purposes of new residential development no longer carry any weight. 

"A ‘tilted balance’ is therefore engaged where the NPPF ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’ is applied.

“Notwithstanding this, the site is considered to be within a sustainable location with being surrounded by the north of Stafford SDL, its proximity to the built-up area of Stafford and the level of services which Stafford provides with being the largest settlement in the borough. 

"It is accepted that the character of the wider surroundings will drastically change in the near future with the development of the north SDL.”

Approval of the application would be subject to a series of conditions. The applicant would also be required to enter into an agreement that includes dedicating land to provide a roundabout at the junction of Beaconside and Sandon Road, as well as contributing to the construction costs of the roundabout.

Stafford Borough Council has received nine objections to the application, however. Objectors have raised concerns about loss of green space, insufficient local facilities, increased highway danger due to an increase in traffic and safety of the proposed access off Sandon Road.

Although outline planning permission was granted for 120 homes on the site in 2017, a further application including details of appearance, landscaping, layout, and scale was refused consent in April 2019. A “mixed-used” development for surrounding land to the north of the site, approved in May 2022, proposes up to 2,000 new homes, as well as a primary school. Secondary school. Health centre and elderly living facility.